A native of Lubbock, Mr. Gowler attended Wheelock Elementary, Hutchinson Jr. High, and graduated from Monterey High School. He received his Music Education degree from Texas Tech University.

In his 35-year career, Mr. Gowler taught junior high band and orchestra, middle school and high school band, and jazz band in the Allen, Lubbock, Abilene, Frenship, Waco, San Angelo, Denton, and Big Spring school districts. His Denton High School and Waco Richfield High School Jazz Ensembles both performed at the TMEA Convention/Clinic in San Antonio in 1975 and 1980, respectively. He has taught summer band camps at McMurry University, Angelo State University, Levelland Junior College and Texas Tech University. He is a former member of the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra and the Lubbock Brass Quintet.

In 2006-2007, Mr. Gowler was selected for inclusion in the 11^th Edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. Although retired from full-time teaching, he remains involved in music education by working part-time with numerous area band programs, including Frenship High School, Frenship Memorial High School, Frenship Heritage and Alcove Trails Middle Schools, Lubbock Coronado High School and Lubbock Monterey High School. Mr. Gowler is also an active clinician and UIL contest adjudicator.

Mr. Gowler’s professional affiliations include the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Bandmasters Association, and the Texas Music Adjudicators Association. He attends First United Methodist Church of Lubbock, where he is a member of the choir. He resides in Lubbock with his wife Mickey, a retired special education teacher. They have two daughters. Emily and her husband Levi live in Lubbock where she works as a Physical Therapist. Natalie and her husband Nicolas reside in San Fransisco. Last, but certainly not least, they have three grandchildren: Kate Rose, 17 and Matthew, 11, and Josephine, 6 months.

Michael Watts graduated from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, with a Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1980. As an undergraduate he studied saxophone with Dr. Joseph Wytko and conducting with Dr. Richard E. Strange and Dr. Robert C. Fleming. While in high school, he studied saxophone with Dr. Larry Teal at the University of Michigan. Mr. Watts has also completed graduate course work at Arizona State University and West Texas A&M University with Dr. Gary Garner.

Mr. Watts has taught for the Ector County Independent School District in Odessa, TX, since 1982. He was previously Director of Bands at Camelback High School in Phoenix, AZ, from 1980-82. He was hired by Mr. JR McEntyre in the fall of 1982 as the Director of Bands at Bonham JR High in Odessa, TX. He later became the Associate Director at Permian High School in 1986 and the Director of Bands at Permian High School from 1996 to 2013 upon retiring.

Under his direction the band has received continuous Sweepstakes Awards in the Texas University Interscholastic League contests, qualified for the Texas State Marching Contest several times, been named outstanding band and performing group at several music contests across the country, performed in the 2004 “Tournament of Roses Parade”, The St. Patricks Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland and the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic/Convention in Chicago in December of 2006. The Marching Band was nominated for the “Sudler Shield” in 1997 and 2002 for its traditional marching excellence and the Symphonic Band was awarded the “Sudler Flag of Honor” in 2008 from the John Phillip Sousa Foundation.

Mr. Watts was honored with the “Odessa Community Builder Award” in 2005, “Teacher of the Year” at Permian High School for the 2007 school year, and was named “Texas Sponsor of the Year” by the University Interscholastic League of Texas in 2008 and nominated for the American Bandmasters Association.

Mr. Watts has held several offices for the Texas Music Educators Association including: Region President, Region Vice President, Region Band Chair, Area Auditions Chair and All-State Auditions Chair. Mr. Watts is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, the Texas Music Adjudicators Association, and the Texas Chapter of Phi Beta Mu, an International School Bandmasters Fraternity. Mr. Watts has served as an adjudicator and clinician in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Texas, Illinois, and Michigan.

Mr. Watts has been married to his wife Sally for 45 years. He has two sons, Jameson and Colin, two daughter-in laws, Alanna and Sarah and has four Grandchildren, Emery, Henry, Lucy and Aria!